Follow Your Ashes
by Tameri J. Calhoun
Summary: Two months after Sergeant Calhoun's death, the Hero's Duty console was replaced. Now, the new Sergeant Calhoun must go to none other than Felix to solve a problem that could endanger all of Game Central Station's residents. Felix will have to face his past and work side-by-side with Tamora's replacement if they hope to save the arcade.
1. Prologue

It was the stark contrast between the silence of their corner of Game Central Station and the boom of the gunshots that did it. The first round of the 21-gun salute made Felix flinch, even though he'd been expecting it, and a fresh bout of tears poured down his face. Through the course of the week, he'd all but mastered sobbing silently, so the silence was not interrupted between the three rounds of gunshots.

Tamora Jean Calhoun had died fighting. Undoubtedly, her programming would suggest that she would want nothing different. But beyond being a soldier, Tamora Jean Calhoun had had a lot to live for.

She still held the record in Tapper's in the bi-weekly root beer-drinking contest her soldiers had insisted she participated in. She not only had a loyal platoon of fellow space marines but also a smaller, closer group of friends who were just as loyal to her. She'd trusted them through it all even though they weren't soldiers, only an 8-bit human wrecking ball and an energetic young girl with a bad candy addiction. Most importantly, though, she'd had a lifetime ahead of her with the last person her programming would suggest she could love, and Fix-It Felix, Jr. was in no way prepared to have it ripped away from both of them.

The silence lasted just a bit too long, but no one seemed willing to break it first. Finally, Felix moved from where he stood beside Ralph and muttered his thanks to everyone who had come; it was quiet and sad, but entirely sincere. Ralph stood and took a crying Vanellope by the hand, and soon the rest of the characters stood and turned to leave, muttering solemn condolences to Felix.

As the crowd dispersed, the only ones remaining with Felix in the corner of Game Central Station which held the memorial plaque for Tamora J. Calhoun were the soldiers of Hero's Duty. They had stood vigil the night she'd died, and would do so again today. Felix had no intention of interfering with their sentiment, and, though their code made them less willing than he to show it, he knew that they were almost as distraught at losing her as he was.

He traced his fingers along the memorial plaque, reading and rereading it. When he'd first seen it days ago, he found it hard to believe what he was reading. Each day since her death, Felix awoke in tears, hoping for nothing more than to see his wife beside him, but now the reality had finally settled in. He would never see his wife again.


	2. Chapter 1

Two months had passed since Calhoun's funeral. Felix was slowly growing back into the normal routine, and the chipper handyman the players saw was day by day beginning to return after hours. The arcade had closed and Fix-It Felix walked alongside Wreck-It Ralph, headed for Tapper's. Felix froze in place.

"Tamora?" Shock gripped him as he saw the tall armored woman, flanked by two similarly armored soldiers, seemingly headed for Tapper's as well. When he spoke, Ralph stopped and looked on in shock, too.

"Guess word travels fast, civilian."

When she turned towards Felix to address him, his heart sank and he realized immediately the reality of the situation. The woman was certainly Tamora Jean Calhoun, but his wife she was not.

"Yes, ma'am, I suppose it does. Fix-It Felix, Jr. from the game Fix-It Felix, Jr. And this is my friend, Wreck-It Ralph." His introduction was almost monotone, and he looked anywhere but her face as he spoke.

When all was said and done, it made sense that Litwack would replace Hero's Duty. If it wasn't the arcade's most popular game, it was certainly one of them. He'd pulled all the stops to get it fixed when, out of nowhere, everyone's favorite Sergeant no longer appeared to teach the kids how to decimate the cy-bugs. Of course, it was not a problem that even the most technologically savvy human had the means to fix, and eventually Litwack had no other choice than to pull the plug.

Even so, Felix hasn't considered the possibility of a new Hero's Duty until it was staring him in the face- literally.

"You alright there, Fix-It?" the Sergeant questioned, a mildly bemused expression on her face.

"Yes, ma'am, I'm alright. And it's Felix, if you'd please," he responded. He hadn't let anyone call him that since Tammy died, and she was not Tammy.

"Actually, ya' know what, Ralph? I'm sorry, but you should go on off ta' Tapper's without me. I just remembered that I owe an old friend a visit. Sorry, brother." He muttered quick goodbyes and started in the opposite direction, leaving the Sergeant bewildered and Ralph, still in shock, very confused.


	3. Chapter 2

Felix headed away from the main section of Game Central Station. The crowd around him slowly dwindled in size, and the graffiti on the walls was becoming more prevalent as he ventured down passages good guys rarely went.

When Felix arrived at his destination- the platform for a long-unplugged game in the rear of the arcade- his path was blocked by a large, unfamiliar man in a costume he didn't recognize.

"Ya' have an appointment, pint-size?" It was rather cliche, but nonetheless effective.

"No, sir. But I'm positive your boss will want to hear what I have to say." There was a pause. The guard didn't seem impressed. "Just tell 'im that Fix-It's here to see him."

The guard stared him down, hesitant to move from his post, but after a short pause he headed inside, closing a large metal door behind him; it had been personally created by the once-abandoned plug's current occupants. There was a longer pause, in which Felix grew nervous in his solitude, before the door opened again.

The man that now stood in the doorway was far more imposing than the first guard had been. He was larger and more muscled, almost as tall as Ralph, and tattoos were visible against the dark skin of his arms and neck. However, the smile he cracked as he saw the handyman put Felix's nerves to rest.

"Good to see ya', Fix-It." He was the one exception to that rule- there always is an exception- and the only person to call him that in the past few weeks without making him cringe. "Sorry about that, by the way. Hired help."

Felix returned the smile and tipped his hat to him. "And you, too, Kohut!" He'd almost forgotten why he'd made the trip. His expression hardened. "But I'm sorry to say, I didn't come on down here to catch up with ya', Kohut."

"I supposed you probably didn't, Fix-It. Alright. Come inside, then." He closed the door behind Felix once they'd both entered and lead him to a back room which had been carved out of the side of the plug. They passed what appeared to be an indoor military base; untouched computers and papers sat on the desks and a collection of soldiers from various games were doing what they could to look busy.

"What's the damage, Fix-It?" Kohut asked once they'd reached the privacy of his office, immediately serious.

"Litwack bought a new Hero's Duty console. I-I just thought you oughta know," Felix told him, his expression apologetic.

Kohut was visibly taken by the news, but it lasted for only a second before his confident composure composure returned. His expression was still discernibly more stoic, however.

"Thanks for filling me in. Mind if I head back to Game Central Station with you, Felix?"  
"Not a problem, sir!" Felix responded, offering a slightly strained smile.

Kohut stood from the room and back into the main fray. He barked an order to another man who responded with a quick salute and a "Yes, sir" before he lead Felix the remaining way out of the plug.

Walking alongside Kohut, Felix had no need to be nervous. If his reputation wasn't enough, he didn't look like a program you'd wanna mess with. He was heavily muscled, which was apparent through the thin, sleeveless wife beater he wore, and if that still wasn't convincing, the gun and grenades displayed on his belt should have been.

"Now, you're sure of this, Fix-It? It's not that I don't trust you, but-"

"I talked to her myself."

There was an uneasy silence. Kohut nodded in understanding, and they finished the rest of the trek in silence until they returned to the main bustle of GCS.

"I gotta head off to Tapper's to find Ralph," Felix informed Kohut. "You're quite welcome to join us, if you'd please."

"Negative, soldier. I have a duty to fulfill."

Felix understood and tipped his hat in farewell. Kohut headed straight towards where Hero's Duty had once been, assuming Litwack had placed the new console in the same general area. He attracted a small amount of attention as he strutted through GCS, but he was too focused to notice or care.


	4. Chapter 3

Calhoun had decided to get to know the territory, figuring her first night off was the perfect time to start. She couldn't get through the entirety of Game Central Station in one night- not if she wanted time to cool down at Tapper's afterwards, especially- but she knew she could at least get a feel for the goings on in the main chamber of the station.

She scanned it for mainly tactical reasons, but as the night grew on she began to focus more on entertaining her curiosity, paying more attention to the clusters of odd characters that occupied their new home. It was then that she noticed the odd behavior towards her and the two soldiers that accompanied her.

"Kohut, you noticing anything odd about the civilians?" she questioned, turning to the armored man walking next to her.

"Now that you mention it," he agreed.

The next civilian that made the mistake of doing a double-take at the sight of them was faced with a small fraction of Calhoun's wrath.

"Not so fast, civilian. Mind telling me what the lot of you are gawking at? Never seen a soldier before?"

The character seemed to shrink slightly as she snapped at him, despite being at least twice her size and as muscular as her soldiers.

"Is funny you say that, Sarge," he answered, his voice thick with a heavy accent that she believed to be Russian. "See, thing is, we have seen soldiers before! Hero's Duty not as new as you think."

Her glare turned into a look of confusion at his response, and she turned to Kohut to see if he followed. He gave a dismissive shrug, not able to decipher it, either.

"Hey, what were you blabbering about?" Calhoun called- he had made it far enough away that raising her voice was necessary, not just for effect.

"Check plaque in corner behind Hero's Duty!" he suggested, and then he disappeared back into the crowd.

"We could shake down another civilian to figure out what he was talking about, but I'm curious. That plaque he was talking about seems... interesting, to say the least," Calhoun said. Kohut nodded a silent agreement from behind her. They backtracked, heading through Game Central Station towards their own game.

The plaque was easy to miss. It was on the wall adjacent to Hero's Duty, right at eye-level but slightly hidden right near the corner. Pushed into the corner below it was a bench, slightly more decorative than those that she'd seen scattered across GCS. She began to read it once she got close enough that the words were legible.

"Kohut, Green, take a look at this!" They followed her, bewildered as they read the plaque over:

_In memory and recognition, _

_Tamora J. Calhoun_

_Friend. Wife. Soldier._

"Looks like we weren't the first Hero's Duty in Litwack's arcade," Calhoun mused. "That must have been what Speedo was yapping on about. Seems like Sergeant Calhoun had really made an impression here. Must've been something, to take her out..." She gently traced her fingers over her own name on the engraving.

She turned towards the soldiers after a few drawn-out seconds. "You're both dismissed. I'm off to Tapper's. You're welcome along, but feel free to head home for the night."

"I think I'll turn in for the night. G'night, Sergeant!" Green saluted her and headed off to Hero's Duty.

"How 'bout it, Kohut? Wanna see what the buzz is over at Tapper's?"

"I think I'll follow Green's example and head back to Hero's Duty if it's all the same to you, ma'am."

Calhoun nodded. "See you back at the base, then." He smirked slightly and saluted, and the two split ways.

Calhoun attracted less attention to her, probably because it was a lot easier to miss her amongst the crowd without large armored men walking on either side of her. She strutted towards Tapper's with confidence, having already committed many locations throughout GCS to memory.

Tapper's was fairly busy, although that was not unexpected. Tamora headed for the first empty barstool she could find, and realized she actually had to look up at the person sitting next to her. He, in turn, was looking down at the person to his right as they talked.

"Wreck-It. Fix-It. Good t'see you again," she said politely, recognizing them from earlier.

"It's_ Felix_ if it's all the same to you, ma'am," he said quietly; he wouldn't meet her eyes and it seemed as if he couldn't sit still. His hands would move or he'd shift on his seat or swing his legs slightly. "Actually, I was just about to leave. See ya' tomorrow, Ralph. Nice seeing you, Sergeant." He quickly made his way to the game's exit, leaving behind him a half-finished mug of root beer and Ralph to pick up his tab.

She ordered a beer and, once it got to her, took a swig. She mulled over the many events of her first day, trying to make sense of it all. Finally, she turned back towards Wreck-It, who had been utterly quiet since she'd first spoken, now seemingly very focused on the contents of his mug.

"Hey, Wreck-It! Mind telling me what's up with your friend?" It was really less a request than an order. "I know I'm not the first Calhoun in the arcade, but his behavior is still downright odd."

Ralph shuffled nervously on his stool. "You could say that Felix and the original Calhoun go way back," he finally muttered.  
"Well, uh, I gotta be heading back, too, Sarge. See ya' around." He downed the remainders of his mug in one swallow, placed some coins on the counter, and made a rather hasty exit, leaving a still-confused Calhoun to ponder.

She finished her beer, paid Tapper, and slowly started for home. She was generally prepared for anything, but what she saw once she entered the common room of their base she was not prepared for. Kohut was leaning against the wall slightly, talking to himself. A second Kohut, unarmored, was at the other end of the conversation, tattooed arms crossed across his chest. Once she'd fully process the information, she mentally scolded herself for being so surprised. It made sense that the soldiers from the original Hero's Duty console were still around.

"Evening, Sergeant," he said, nodding respectfully to her from across the room.

"Something I can help you with, soldier?" she questioned. She was slightly hesitant to approach, worried it was a trick or that he was bitter at her and her soldiers for replacing his game. But _her_ Kohut gave an affirmative nod, and she strode up to them with confidence.

"No, ma'am," he replied, a small bit on edge, himself. "Just thought I'd check up on ya'." He paused, making sure Calhoun didn't have anything to say before he continued. "Although I noticed you have a problem you may need help with."

Calhoun turned towards 'her' Kohut with a piercing glare. "I didn't tell 'im, Sarge. He figured it out." Her expression softened some. Of course Kohut wouldn't give out their secrets to strangers, even if the stranger _was_ himself.

Calhoun finally gave a nervous but affirmative nod. "Not to ignore the issue, but could you tell me something?" she asked, searching this unfamiliar Kohut for any signs as to how he felt about all this. Unsurprisingly, his face revealed little.

"Sure, Sarge."

"What's got everyone acting so funny around me? I understand that we aren't exactly new to the arcade, but it seems like there's more to it. Especially that Fix-It fellow. His friend mentioned he knew the first Calhoun, but that's not all, is it?"

Kohut explained without hesitation. There was no dishonesty, no omission, no sugar coating. He explained what took place when Ralph decide to game jump. He told her about the wedding. He also told her about _after_ the wedding and how unbelievably happy the odd couple had been right up until everything went wrong.

"Felix is heartbroken. There's a part of him that he'll never get back, something even he can't fix. Now, though, instead of being some impossibly distant fantasy, well, now it's right in front of him. It's just out of his reach."  
Calhoun and her soldiers listened on in astonishment. Felix's behavior certainly made more sense. But it was still something to take in, even though she trusted this Kohut.

"That's quite a legacy."

"Yes, ma'am. Now, I'd be thrilled if you could fill me in on what's happening in this game. Maybe I can help."

She was slightly hesitant, but she had no reason not to trust this Kohut, and 'her' Kohut seemed to. "Fair enough." She explained their situation thoroughly, and told him that they'd thought up plan after plan only to find them all flawed.

"And it's getting worse," Kohut added as she'd finished, hoping that his more-experienced self would know a solution.

"Well, I'm no scientist, and I couldn't tell ya' what to do about it. But I have a friend who could undoubtedly fix your problems. If you'd be willing to ask, that is."


	5. Chapter 4

Felix had headed straight for the penthouse once he'd left Tapper's. When he reached his condo, he closed the door and locked it behind him for the first time in weeks. As soon as the lock clicked, he lost all composure, tears streaming down his face. He strode slowly to his bedroom, sitting on his bed so that his feet hung off the the edge.

He pulled off his gloves and set them on his nightstand, letting his gaze linger on the framed picture there for a moment too long. From the photographs scattered around Felix's condo, it would be hard to believe that Sergeant Calhoun rarely smiled. Felix had a way of making people happy, and not even the battle-scarred sergeant was immune to it.

This particular picture had been taken by Vanellope; she claimed she'd followed them around on each date they took to Sugar Rush for a week; Calhoun vehemently resputed this claim, for she would never be so unobservant. Vanellope had given them the photograph for their first wedding anniversary. In it, Calhoun was standing with her arms around Felix, who stood in front of her. Her smile was almost as big as his, and Felix's cheeks were bright red with the "honeyglows."

It was a perfect shot. There was none of the feigned sincerity of a posed shot; every bit of emotion was real. She had been at her most beautiful when she was smiling; it was a rare gift when she did.

He tore his gaze from the photo, his eyes drifting to his hands and resting on the gold wedding band. He patted his chest, eyes widening in a panic when he didn't feel metal beneath his shirt. He grabbed at his neck and his panic subsided as his fingers made contact with a thin metal chain. He tugged on the chain until he had her dog tags in his hand and held them up to his chest, pressing them against his heart. His racing heart slowed back to its normal rate and he dropped the dog tags, letting them fall until the chain caught and they could dangle at his chest.

He'd stopped crying, although he was still shaken over the day's events. He wanted to hate her for coming in and replacing his Tammy. For taunting him with her likeness, when he knew she wasn't quite the same. But he _couldn't_ hate her, because he knew it wasn't her fault. She wasn't _trying_ to replace anyone. She'd been plugged in and was now doing her job.

He didn't know what he was going to do now that Hero's Duty was back, now that he'd have to face the possibility of seeing her at any time; however, it was growing late and he was tired. Even though tomorrow was Sunday- and, as such, the arcade was closed- he only wanted to rest. He considered and promptly rejected the idea of donning pajamas, instead simply taking off his pants and work shirt, leaving them at the foot of the bed. He curled up comfortably, habitually remaining on only the left side. He refused to part with the dog tags or wedding ring; he took them off only when showering.

Felix set his alarm for ten, a few hours later than most Sundays. He deserved to sleep in on occasion, and there wasn't much for him to do, anyhow. Tapper's wasn't an option- not for a while at least; not until he was more sure of how he was going to deal in the chance he'd run into Calhoun. He supposed he could visit Sugar Rush with Ralph- and maybe he would, after a decent morning's rest- but he wasn't entirely sure he could take the saccharine sweetness of Vanellope's kingdom.

His thoughts slowly became jumbled due to his tiredness, and he settled in again amidst the blankets. His thoughts were sporadic, his eyelids heavy; he was just about asleep. A stray thought struck him, and he was fixated on it, his previous drowsiness forgotten. The lyrics to a familiar song danced around his head. The song immediately reminded him of Tammy.

The first time he had heard it, she had been the one singing it. She was singing it quietly while she was in the shower, apparently unaware that Felix could hear her. He asked her about it once she'd gotten showered and dressed, and she brushed it off as just some song she heard one of the gamers playing. With some gentle prompting, she admitted that it reminded her of Brad, and he gave her a sympathetic look and held her close, not saying anything more.

Now, the same song reminded Felix of Tamora, and the lyrics played through his head almost relentlessly. He wasn't sure if he couldn't chase the song from his head or if he just couldn't bring himself to; it brought a bittersweet, almost ironic kind of sadness. He felt somehow closer to her. Finally he fell asleep, _"I followed your ashes into outer space. I can't look out the window. I can't look at this place. I can't look at the stars,"_ following him into his dreams.


	6. Chapter 5

Felix was awoken well before his alarm to an incessant pounding on his door. He groaned and rolled over, content to ignore whoever it was and go back to sleep.

_"Felix!"_ Mary's voice was frantic. "Sergeant Calhoun's on her way!" She had his attention.

_"What? Why?"_ he asked, frenetically dressing himself with his work clothes from the day before. Once decent, he opened the door for Mary, muttering apologies for making her wait and inviting her inside if she pleased.

"I'm alright, Felix, dear. I just wanted to make sure you were, uh, prepared. I think she'll be up shortly. I'll leave the two of you alone."

Felix thanked her as she left and slowly closed the door after her, his heart pounding rapidly with anticipation. Why would the sergeant be in Niceland? How much did she know? Why was she looking for him?

His thoughts were interrupted by a louder knock, the distinct sound of metal against wood.

Felix nervously opened the door again and looked up at the tall woman. "C-can I help you, ma'am?" he asked nervously.

"I sure as hell hope so," the sergeant replied grimly. "Can I come in?" she added, tone softening slightly.

"Oh, uh, of course. Come in." He stepped aside to let her enter, surprised to find she'd come alone. He didn't mention it. His left hand fiddled with the ring on his right; he didn't notice until he saw Calhoun's gaze follow the motion. He muttered an "Excuse me," and moved nervously across the apartment. He disappeared into his room momentarily and reappeared with his gloves and hat.

"Sorry about the mess, ma'am. Wasn't expectin' company." Felix glanced around the room, anything to keep from meeting the sergeant's eyes. "What can I help ya' with, ma'am?"

Her expression hardened again. "The beacon won't start. Can't even get it to start manually. I was told there wasn't much anything you couldn't fix."

Felix's eyes widened; he knew exactly how severe of a problem that was, not only for Hero's Duty but for the entire arcade.

"I see the problem, ma'am, but- how d'you think I could make it up the tower?"

"I can escort you. I assure you that you'll be well-protected." That was the response he'd been dreading most. "Look, I know it may be hard for you-. I mean-" Calhoun struggled to find the right words. "I can't even begin to empathize, and I'm sorry that I'm part of the problem, but I need your help. You're the only one in the arcade capable of fixing it."

Felix tried desperately to think of a reason he couldn't help, but he knew there wasn't one. If it were any other game, he'd have been halfway there already, not sitting around making excuses. He sighed, knowing he had no other choice.

"Of course I'll help, ma'am," he assured her, patting his hammer and tipping his hat.

"No time to waste," she said tersely. She abruptly left the apartment and started down the hall; Felix was taken aback momentarily but then followed her, having to run to catch up. She stopped at the train station, muttering "We don't have time for this." She yanked out the hoverboard that had been folded flatly against the back of her armor and dropped it so that it hovered just off the ground. She boarded with ease and pulled Felix onto it with a yank to his arm, releasing her grip as soon as he was somewhat steady.

When the thrusters kicked in and they began to move, Felix tried his best to balance on his own, but for fear of falling had to hold onto Calhoun for support. She didn't even seem to notice through her thick armor, and if she did she paid it no mind.

It had been some time since Felix had been in Hero's Duty, but he still could clearly tell that the war-torn terrain was more ravaged than usual. More obvious as to their blight was the sheer amount of the cy-bugs that roamed the skies freely. Calhoun had to veer sharply on the hoverboard on more than a few occasions to avoid crashing into them and was firing at them while she steered.

She stopped the hoverboard in front of their base, and Felix stepped off haphazardly, glancing around nervously. He flinched slightly each time a cy-bug neared, even though not a single one made it nearer than ten yards before Calhoun obliterated it. A flicker of worry could be seen through Calhoun's stoic stare as she surveyed the damage.

"Never was pretty, but I'm sure you can understand my urgency." Felix nodded in agreement, and the sergeant's expression hardened to one of sheer determination.

"Show time."


	7. Chapter 6

Calhoun strode into the base, Felix following behind more cautiously.

"Alright, ladies, listen up!" Calhoun demanded; immediately, each soldier in the room stood at attention. "Kohut and I will escort the civilian to the top of the tower. The rest of you are on containment. Don't let a single cy-bug out of this game, y'hear?"

There was a collective "Yes, ma'am," and the soldiers saluted.

"Now!" she snapped when the troops continued to stand at attention, presumedly awaiting another order. The soldiers got the message, drawing their weapons and marching into the fray. Left alongside Felix and Calhoun were too armored soldiers, almost completely identical save for the wear of their armor.

"You still around, soldier?" Calhoun asked of the Kohut who she knew wasn't technically hers to command.

"Yes, ma'am. You're not exactly my sergeant, ma'am, but I still owe it to Hero's Duty and to Game Central Station to do my best to protect them. And Fix-It is my friend, and I owe it to him to come along. If you'll have me, of course."

"Glad to, soldier," the sergeant confirmed with a nod.

Kohut smiled. "Gotta admit, it feels good to be in this armor again. Feels like home." Calhoun and the other Kohut nodded, and then they all became serious.

"We'll move in one unit up the tower. Reaching the beacon is top priority. Kill as many cy-bugs as ya' can if it's on the way, but ignore 'em if they aren't." Calhoun spoke with confidence and authority, and no one thought to argue.

The original Kohut picked up a pistol that had been left in the base and tossed it across the room at Felix. He was both surprised and alarmed, but he caught it, holding it in front of him like it was a venomous snake.

"What-?"

"Keep it, Fix-It. Might come in handy."

Felix decided that it wasn't worth arguing over- and that he probably wouldn't win that argument, anyhow. He slipped the pistol awkwardly into his tool belt and looked up to see Calhoun and 'her' Kohut already starting for the tower; he glanced up at the other Kohut warily.

"You'll be fine, Fix-It. C'mon." Kohut gave Felix his best attempt at a reassuring grin and started after the others, Felix sticking by his side more closely than his shadow. They caught up to the others quickly and kept pace; Felix was just slightly behind the three soldiers, shaking nervously as he walked.


	8. Chapter 7

They came to a stop at the front of the tower. Felix had to tilt his head back to look at the top. Both Kohuts had their weapons drawn, almost daring a cy-bug to come at them.

"Alright, boys, when I open this door, be prepared to give 'em your best."

The Kohuts stood tall, rifles drawn; Felix stood behind them nervously, one hand placed awkwardly on the pistol still in his belt.

The door opened and a swarm of cy-bugs burst out, whirring and buzzing. A fair few were destroyed almost immediately; between Calhoun and the Kohuts, the bugs didn't stand a chance. The ones that escaped were those that didn't seem at all interested in them, buzzing mindlessly deeper into Hero's Duty.

"C'mon. The other soldiers will have to deal with the rest." Calhoun led them through the doorway, keeping a sharp eye out for any lingering bugs. All seemed clear for now; she lowered her weapon, though she was still on her guard. The group continued down the hall in a looming silence.

They traversed the first few floors with ease; few cy-bugs lingered, and most of those that did were blasted before they even processed the presence of the trespassers. Felix was less nervous as they reached the tenth floor; Calhoun and the Kohuts were having no problems and they weren't even breaking a sweat! His optimism faded fast as they headed deeper into the tenth level and to and beyond the eleventh. Of course it would get more difficult as they moved on. This was a video game, after all.

Felix stuck by Kohut's side as the levels grew harder, trying his best to keep only the wall to his left and Kohut to his right. That way, he was protected, and he didn't have to- and he could focus on the job at hand.

They made it through to the twentieth, thirtieth, fortieth floor without any mishaps. The levels certainly weren't as easy as floor one, but they were far from surpassing the skill level of even Calhoun on her own.

Felix had lost track of what floor they were on. He knew they hadn't reached fifty yet. Maybe forty-eight? They'd reached a large room, and had spread out some, especially compared to the cramped corridors. The three soldiers scanned the room for cy-bugs; there were a few broods of eggs, but the room seemed otherwise empty. Still, Sergeant Calhoun scanned the room with scrutiny, looking for something she seemed to know was around somewhere.

"There!" she said aloud, cutting across the room from the right side to the left. She passed Felix, who followed her closely but tentatively. The Kohuts followed behind, less concerned about the distance between them.

"It's an Easter Egg," she explained as she pushed rather forcefully against a hardly visible button on the wall. "An elevator. A shortcut right to the eightieth floor." The sergeant wore a proud smirk.

"Sarge?" The new Kohut had his rifle drawn and aimed at the ceiling. The others all followed his gaze; Felix gasped, the soldiers drew their weapons. Saying that the cy-bug that hung from the ceiling was large was an understatement; it was probably the mother of all the eggs they'd exterminated.

Her mandibles clicked together and her wings buzzed as she came at them. She landed on the floor, creating a barricade that separated the Kohuts from Felix and Calhoun.

"You guys go, we'll catch up!" Kohut could just barely be heard over the firing of three weapons and the incessant buzzing and clicking of the cy-bug.

"Negative! It only works once per game. If we go now, it won't reset until the next player logs on!"

"We'll take the long way. It'll be alright!"

The beastly bug was sustaining damage on both sides but didn't show many signs of weakening. She had focused first on the Kohuts, but when she seemed to realize there was another offender, she turned to face her. A glint of light that reflected off of Felix's hammer caught her attention. She blinked her eyes once, clicked her mandibles, and in a flash she was airborne, focused entirely on the shimmer of the hammer.

Calhoun moved quickly, pushing Felix back forcefully into the elevator and then following, half-running and half-landing in the small space right as the automatic doors clicked shut. There was a metallic clang and a skritch skritch skritch as the cy-bug clawed frantically at the door, and then everything was completely silent for a fraction of a second as the elevator's teleporter worked.

The door opened on the eightieth floor and Calhoun slammed a fist into the wall angrily.

"I should have known there'd be something there. That was downright careless." She was talking to herself rather than Felix, who only just heard her as he began to recover from a stupor.

"All due respect, ma'am, but haven't you reached that level before?" Felix asked tentatively, immediately wishing he hadn't.

"None of the players made it that far yesterday," she answered, far less annoyance in her tone than Felix had anticipated. He'd forgotten how young she technically was. Her game had only just been plugged in.

"Well, we better get moving. The sooner we get you up to that beacon, the sooner this mess will be over with."


End file.
